Apparatus for handling coils



Nov. 4, 1947. D. o. OLSON APPARATUS FOR HANDLING COILS 2 Sheetg-Sheet 1 Filed March 26, 1945 N MN in t NW8) 0. 048 52! Nov. 4, 1947. d, so 2,430,075

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING coILs Filed March 26, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zinventor 05576) 0 OLSON Gttomeg widths.

Patented ov. 4, 1947 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING COILS Dewey 0. Olson, Dearborn, Mich, assignor to National Steel Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application March 26,1945, Serial No. 584.5%1

7 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for handling coils and is particularly concerned With'apparatus for handling relatively heavy, narrow coils of sheet material, such as steel strip, during banding of the coils.

In the production of steel strip, the steel is rolled into a long, relatively wide strip of the required thickness and then coiled at the mill. The various customers require a wide variety of relatively narrow coils of different and special The general practice is for the mill to store the wide coils and then .to slit the strip of each coil into a plurality of relatively narrow bands of the width specified by the customer in his order. The relatively wide steel strip is uncoiled and passed through a slitter which cuts the strip into relatively narrow bands or ribbons on a coiler. These coils are removed from the caller and rolled out onto the floor andretainof the desired width which are rewound into coils ing bands applied to the coils to prevent uncoiling during shipment. Normally, two men are required to apply the bands and hold the coil upright on its edge. A major portion of these coils have a width that is only a small fraction of the diameter and as these coils often weigh from 600 to 1000 lbs. each, handling the coils is quite hazardous for they readily tip over and seriously injure the men handling the coils. Numerous accidents have resulted especially when handling the narrow coils. Further, it is the general practice to use a crane, such as the usual overhead mill crane, to shift the coils even relatively short distances which increases the time the crane is tied up and may force other crews to wait in idleness until the crane is free.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for handling relatively narrow steel coils safely Without damage to the operator, especially during the attaching of retaining bands to the coil and which is so constructed and arranged that a helper is not needed to hold the coil while bands are being applied.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a coil handling apparatus constructed and arranged to permit the successive and simultaneous banding of a series of coils.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a coil handling apparatus which is economical to manufacture, install and operate.

While the present invention is primarily concerned with and will be described in connection with apparatus for handling coils of steel strip, it is to be understood that my apparatus may be used for handling coils of other materials.

The present invention provides an apparatus that is particularly useful in handling a plurality of coils after they have been removed from the usual coiler and includes a coil receiving box for receiving and holding the coils in side by side relationship and a; banding trough having coil restraining sides spaced apart sufilciently to receive a single coil therebetween and spaced close enough together to hold'the coil on its edge and prevent it from tipping over during application of the bands. The banding trough is supported for movement in a direction transverse to the coils so that as a first coil is rolled along the trough, the trough may be moved into alignment with a second coil. Thus,-a plurality of coils may be handed simultaneously in the trough.

These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an apparatus embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view .of the apparatus of 'Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a side elevational viewof the banding trough of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the wide steel strip 10 is passed through a slitting mechanism H ineluding slitting elements 13 mounted on upper and lower shafts l4 supported in the frame H5. The slitting elements l3 cut the wide strip It? into'a plurality of narrow bands or strips l2v which are wound into coils I6 on the reel ll of the coiler l9. Annular rings 20 are placed on the reel l1 and between the coils IE to keep them separate. Preferably the power driven reel ll pulls the strip lfl' through the slitter ll. After the coils it are of the desired size, the reel ll a position engaging or adjacent the coils l5. Pressure is then applied to the U-shaped plate 2| to push the coils off reel, l1 and simultaneously the buggy 23 is moved in the same direction as the coils so that the coils I6 are transformed to the bu gy platform 22 in a side by side relationship having the same relative positions as when on the reel H. The buggy 23 is then moved along the rails 24 and into alignment with the coil re ceiving container or box 28 at which time the coils are in the position shown in broken lines in Figure 2. The annular separator rings 20 are then removed from between the coils IS.

The slitter H, coiler I9 and buggy 23 form no part of the present invention and may be of any type heretofore used in the steel mill or may be of any other type deemed suitable. Each of these mechanisms is a standard item well known to those skilled in the art.

Heretofore, it has been the customary practice to lower the buggy platform 22 and the supported coils l6 and to then tilt the platform 22 so as to roll the coils out onto the wooden platform 30 from which the coils are manually rolled onto the floor 3i and then banded or from which the coils may be removed by the mill crane onto the floor in position for handing.

The coils l6 are rolled from the platform 30 into the coil receiving box 28 which includes a base plate 32 attached to the floor 3| in any suitable manner and includes side plates 33 and 34 each supported by two brackets 35. Each bracket 35 is fastened to the base plate 32 by means of a bolt 36. A plurality of spaced threaded bolt holes 3! are provided to permit adjustment of the side plates 33 and 34 toward and away from 'ach other so that the distance between the side plates can be adjusted so as to equal approximately the total width of the coils IS. A bar 38 mounted in the proper pair of notches 3 9 prevents the coils from rolling out of the far side of the receiving box 28. A plurality of notches 39 are provided so that the position of the bar 38 may be adjusted t provide a stop adjustable in accordance with the size of the coils l6.

, The banding trough 40 includes spaced apart side walls 4| supported on two trucks 42 including wheels 43 mounted on the respective rails 44. The bending trough 40 is movable along the rails 44 in a direction transverse to the coils l6 and into successive alignment with each coil 16 in box 28. The walls 4| are spaced apart a sufiicient distance to receive the widest coil I6 which normally will be cut and are close enough together to prevent event the narrowest coil I6 from tipping over so that the coils l6 are securely supported during the banding operation. The length of trough 40 is preferably as great as the circumference of the largest coil.

Assuming that the coils iii are in the coil receiving box 28, the bar 38 is normally removed and a first, end coil is rolled into the trough 4D. and a top band 454s applied around the coil as shown in Figure 3. The end of the trough 40 is adjacent the coil receiving box 28 so that there is no chance for the coil to tip over whilebeing rolled into the trough. After the first coil has been banded with the single band '45, it is'rolled along the trough toward the right sufficiently to turn it through about 120 and a second band 46 is applied around the top asindicated in'broken lines in Figure 3. While the first coil is being moved third band 4? is applied around the top of the first coil and the second band 46 is applied around the top of the second coil. While the first two coils are being rolled along the trough 4D and are being banded, the trough is moved along the rails 44 into alignment with a third coil which is handed as previously described. After the desired number of bands have been applied to the first coil, the completely banded first coil is rolled from the trough into the storage box 43 and the second and third coils are moved along the trough and banded, and simultaneously a fourth coil is moved into the banding trough. Thus, coils are being banded while the trough 40 is being moved into alignment with a next coil and this next coil is being rolled into the trough. This apparatus provides means for continuously handing the coils and for simultaneously banding a plurality of coils so that there is little lost time.

After the coils have been banded, they are rolled into the storage box 48 including coilsupporting side walls 49. Preferably the walls 49 are spaced apart that distance which will permit the number of coils to be supported therebctween in a side by side relationship that will form cause other crews to wait in idleness until the crane is available.

Having described a preferred embodiment of my invention in detail it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein or that some features may be used without others all Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention except as specifically set forth in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

.1. Apparatus for handling coils of strip material, said apparatus comprising, in combination, meansfor coiling a plurality of lengths of the strip material into coils; a. container for receiving the coils in side by side relationship; means for moving the coils from said coiling means to said coil receiving container; a trough having restraining sides spaced apart sufficiently to receive a single coil therebetween and close enough together to hold the coil on its edge and prevent its tipping over, said trough being long enough to receive a plurality of coils at the same time; and means supporting said trough for movement into successive alignment with each of the coils in said coil receiving container.

2. Apparatus for handling coils of steel strip and similar material of varying widths in combination with means for simultaneously coiling a plurality of steel strips into coils, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a coil receiving box for receiving the coils in side by. siderelationship,

said box having two opposed sides relatively adjustable toward and away from each other so that the total distance between said sides is substantially equal to the total width of all the coils; a trough constructed and arranged to receive and support said coils, said trough and said coil receiving box being movable relative to each other in a direction to successively bring said trough into alignment with each of the coils in said coil receiving box.

3. Apparatus for handling coils of steel strip during banding of the coils, said apparatus comprising, in combination, means for coiling a plurality of lengths of steel strip into coils; a coil receiving box for receiving the coils in side by side relationship, said box having two opposed sides relatively adjustable toward and away from each other, the distance between said sides being substantially equal to the total width of said plurality of coils; means for moving the coils in side by side relationship from said coiler to said coil receiving box; an elongated banding trough; and transverse rails supporting said trough, said trough being movable along said rails into alignment with any one of said coils in said receiving box, said trough including sides spaced apart sufficiently to receive a single coil therebetweenand close enough to hold said coil and prevent its tipping over.

4. Apparatus for handling steel strip coils during banding of the coils, said apparatus comprising a coil receiving box for receiving and supporting a plurality of coils in side by side relationship; a banding trough having coil restraining sides spaced apart sufliciently to receive a single coil therebetween and close enough to hold a coil on its edge and prevent its tipping over; and means supporting the banding trough for movement into alignment with any one of the plurality of coils in said receiving box, the length of said trough being as great as the circumference of one of said coils.

5. Apparatus for handling steel strip coils during banding of the coils, said apparatus comprising a coil receiving box for receiving and supporting a plurality of coils in side by side relationship, said coil receiving box having two opposed sides relatively adjustable toward and away from each other so that the total distance between said sides is substantially equal to the total width of said coils; a banding trough having coil restraining sides spaced apart sufficiently to receive a single coil therebetween and close enough to hold a coil on its edge and prevent its tipping over; and means supporting the banding trough for movement into alignment with any one of the plurality of coils in said receiving box, the length of said trough being as great as the periphery of one of said coils. I

6. Apparatus for handling steel strip coils during banding of the coils, said apparatus comprising a. coil receiving box for receiving and supporting a plurality of coils in side by side relationship, said coil receiving box having two opposed sides relatively adjustable toward and away from each other so that the total distance between said sides is always substantially equal to the total width of said coils; a banding trough having coil restraining sides spaced apart sufiiciently to receive a single coil therebetween and close enough to hold a coil on its edge and prevent its tipping over; and means supporting the banding trough for movement into alignment with any one of the plurality of coils in said receiving box, the length of said trough being as great as the periphery of one of said coils; and an adjustable stop associated with said coil receiving box movable to a position to prevent said coils from rolling out of said coil receiving box in a direction towards said banding trough and movable to an inoperative position to permit rolling of any one of said coils in a direction toward said banding trough.

'7. Apparatus for handling coils of diiierent widths and diameters of steel strip and similar materials, said apparatus comprising, in combination, means for coiling a plurality of lengths of steel strip into cOils in a side by side relationship; a coil receiving box for receiving the coils in a side by side relationship, said box including spaced apart sides for holding the coils in an upright position, said sides being adjustable toward and away from each other; means for movingthe coils in side by side relationship from said coiling means to a position adjacent said coil receiving box and intoa position to be rolled into said coil receiving box in said side by side relationship; rails extending in a direction transverse to the side of said coils; a banding trough movably supported on said rails and movable into successive alignment with any one of the coils in said box. said trough including sides spaced apart sufliciently to receive one coil therebetween and close enough together so as to prevent tipping over of the coil, the length of said trough being at least equal to the circumference of the largest coil; and

a coil storage box positioned to receive the banded coils from said banding trough.

DEWEY O. OLSON. 

